What Heroes Are For
by DreamsNitemares
Summary: At the age of ten Naruto is chosen to be the human sacrifice in which the Kyuubi would be sealed in due to the fact that he is a high level Chunin and medic having trained under Tsunade and Jiraiya. Itachi his best friend and teammate knows the blonde is having a hard time dealing with the physical and mental difficulties that comes with holding the Kyuubi. ItaNaru.


**Warning: Violence, blood.**

_Notes:_

_-Naruto and Itachi are the same age. _

_-They are both genius' and Chunin._

_-Naruto is OOC but he's still the more talkative one._

_-Kyuubi is very OOC._

_-Sasuke views both as his older brothers/ father figures._

_-Itachi is good._

_-This is Itachi x Naruto. (I've never tried this pairing before personally)._

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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**Sacrifices Of Heroes**

October tenth, his tenth birthday and everything was falling apart. His parents and village were fighting for their lives, most of the village itself was in ruins, many people were dead. He didn't know what would happen when everything ended what a shitty birthday this turned out to be. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze stared out the open space of the paper sliding door in complete silence and a calm expression despite the war raging outside. The nine-tailed demon fox was attacking his home and seals on the doors and compound prevented him from leaving. The blond growled in frustration glaring at the blue glowing markings on the door in annoyance.

"Naru, if you don't stop pacing you'll wear the floor to the dirt below..." The patient calm voice of his best friend filled the dark silent room. The younger of the two halted running his fingers through his messy, spiked blonde hair. His sky blue eyes surveyed the male in front of him. Older then him by mere months Itachi Uchiha like him was a genius. He had been trained and grew up together for the most part except the Naruto was trained for a specific reason that he did not know of yet. He patted over he peeked into the small bundle that eldest Uchiha held in a firm, steady grip, he chuckled seeing the small sleeping face of the newest addition to the Uchiha family. Reaching out he gently poked the tiny cheek earning a noise of annoyance from the small raven.

"I know 'Tachi but we're Chunin, we should be out there fighting, or at least I should..." The son of the Fourth and current Hokage muttered quietly not wanting to awaken the sleeping baby. He cooed softly to the baby, wincing when tiny fingers grabbed the long bangs of his hair and gave a harsh tug. "Oh Kami, we have another Itachi...at least habit wise."

"He's too young to know that Naruto..." The long haired male pointed out tugging at a strand of blonde hair briefly before tucking his hand back to support the infant. The blonde looked at him pointedly, Itachi was always tugging at Naruto or his own hair as a nervous or playful tick. Itachi glared back only to have it evenly matched. The pair grew up together so they knew each other inside and out.

An ANBU landed in a crotch in front of them, Naruto immediately pulled out a kunai knowing Itachi would read his posture and retreat to room to hide with his brother.

"Naruto-sama, Hokage-sama requests you on the battle field. He asked to give you this." The man held out a blood sealed scroll, he could tell it was fresh. He nodded in understanding.

"I'll gear up and be there shortly please go defend to the best of your abilities and...good luck, ANBU." He said watching the man disappear before walking to the room he sensed the hiding pair's chakra. A shuriken was throw and he easily dodged it. "You need to work on your aim, 'Tachi." He mumbled sitting on the floor next to the male who was in the process of glaring at him. Biting his thumb he opened the scroll and read the contents his eyes growing darker at every word.

_Naruto, _

_ I need your help and you are the only one who can do this job. Come find me. I realized that the Kyuubi can not die for it is a being made of chakra and hate. Therefore I must seal it. My son, you are the only one with the will power and chakra pools to seal it completely. I fear I do not have much time, your mother is fatally wounded as am I. This will be my last act it seems. I only pray that you don't fall either, this village needs you. You will be the sacrifice and hero to keep this village and it's people alive._

_ Your Father._

Naruto closed his eyes rolling up the scroll and walking to the closet. Pulling it open he shrugged on a black fist net shirt, that was long sleeved, a plain black shirt was pulled over it. His dark green Flak Jacket was pulled over and zipped out. He tied his headband to his neck, silently attaching his weapon pouches to his leg and hip.

"Please...come back..." He turned to face Itachi who had read the scroll over his shoulder. He smiled softly and squeezed his friend's shoulder before ruffling the hair on the youngest Uchiha's head.

"I always do." He chuckled softly before stepping outside of the compound that had unsealed itself the moment he opened the scroll.

Blue eyes stared at the giant nine tailed beast that swung it's tails obliterating mountains and ending lives in the path. He could smell the blood even from here. He took off at high speed running towards the battle field and where he could sense his father's chakra. He silently thanked Kakashi a good friend of his and student of his father's, for helping him with his chakra memorization and sensing.

He landed silently pushing back his shock to see his father who was always so strong looking extremely pale and weak. Blood pooled around the barely standing ninja and he could tell wounds were fatal. Looking to his right he took in his mother's blood soaked form, she was alive supporting her husband but they were both wavering. Walking over he slid his father's arm over his shoulder before narrowly moving them out of the way from a fallen tree. A clone helped his mother.

"Naruto..." If he hadn't been so close he would not had heard the faint voice. The blonde smiled faintly to his father helping him sit before forming the necessary hand signs needed to heal the wounds. Four hands stopped him and he looked up to his parents with heartbroken eyes. "Save your energy...You'll need it..."

"This...This is what you and everyone have been training me for right? I was to be the jailor to the Kyuubi if the seal that bound it to mother ever failed." He said understand the reasoning and watched his parents nod grimly. Since he was the son of two of the strongest people in Konoha and he himself had shone a higher understanding of everything he had been molded into the perfect jailer for the Fox.

"You don't have to heal us son..." His father whispered gently. The young man nodded pulling his hands away not noticing the claw heading towards him, his parents did. He spun as everything slowed the sharp claw impaled their bodies blood splattering all over him. His eyes dilated as a cry ripped from his throat, they were dying and he couldn't even help them.

"Naruto..." Slowly he forced himself to look up at the bloody form of his mother and bit back a sob. Blood was spilling from her mouth and he knew, just knew these would be the last moments of her so he engraved him into his memories. He refused forget the people who had taught him so much, who had loved him without fail and taught him everything he knew in life. "Don't be picky.. Eat lots and grow strong...Make sure that you bathe every day and stay warm...Also.. Don't stay up late.. You need lots of sleep..And make friends.. You don't need a lot of friends..Just a few.. Ones you can really, really trust..I wasn't very good at it, but keep up with your studies and practice your ninjutsu hard.. Remember that everyone has strengths and weaknesses..So don't get too depressed if you can't do something well..Respect your teachers and upperclassmen...Oh, and this is important.. It's about the Three Prohibitions for a shinobi..Be extra careful about lending and borrowing money..Put your mission wages into your savings account..No alcohol until you're twenty.. Too much can ruin your health, so drink in moderation..Another Prohibition is women...don't find someone horrible okay?... I'm a woman, so I don't know too much about this but..All you need to remember is that this world is made up of men and women...Find someone that will see you for yourself and not as the Kyuubi.. Speaking of the Three Prohibitions, be wary of Jiraiya Sensei, you know...He is a pervert after all but I'm sure he'll take care of you in our places...Naruto, from now on, you're going to face lots of pain and hardship..Be true to yourself.. Have a dream and have the confidence to make that dream come true.. There's so much.. Oh, so much more that I want to pass on to you.. I wish I could stay with you longer..I love you"

His world froze as her breathing stopped her hands falling limp to her sides. She was gone forever, gone and he couldn't even use his medic jutsu to help, he was useless. The years of teachings under Tsunade and Jiraiya and he couldn't even save the two people who he cared for most. He choked back a sob but he could not stop the tears that slid down his cheeks, he did not even register that he was crying, he could not even feel the warm, salty liquid trailing down his cheeks.

"I agree...with the things your noisy mother...just said..." His father chuckled hand preforming seals from he looked his son in the eye. "This is going to hurt Naruto...I love you...I'm so so sorry..." Naruto screamed in agony as his father slammed a hand into his stomach a seal burning into the soft flesh. He pulled his eyes open as watching the fox disappear and smiled weakly. Heroes had been sacrificed but now everyone was safe. He was proud his father trusted in him to be the jailor of the Fox. He collapsed to his side, jerking and twitching as his chakra tubes were burnt and his body reacting to the fire like chakra of the Fox sealed inside him. He wrapped his arms around himself curling up as he coughed up large amounts of blood, fear gripped his mind and he began to fear that he would die. But then he laughed weakly, if he died so would Kyuubi.

His parents' bodies crumbled to the ground and he crawled over to them slowly stopping to cough more blood or jerk in agony. Shaking he forced himself to preform hand seals pressing his green chakra covered hands to the bodies after pushing himself into a sitting position. He refused to attempt that they were gone, just sleeping he told himself. He watched the darkness creeping into his vision before it took over.

**'Kit! Oi! Naruto can you hear me?'** A deep male's voice echoed through his head and he opened his eyes looking around the sewer like tunnels in his mind. Bringing his eyes up he found the Kyuubi locked in a cage looked down at him. Water dripped softly around him and he looked down to see he was standing on top of the water. It was yellow and murky, looking at the cage he studied it. Iron bars stood to the top of the ceiling, a seal kept the Fox locked tightly inside. He studied the seal and found his predictions were correct, if he died the Kyuubi would follow for their chakra tubes were fusing together and once complete they would be connected to his heart. He almost smiled at the grim, dark result to it all. **'Are you alright?' **

_'Why do you care?'_ He asked venomously. _'You just murdered my parents!'_

**'I'm so sorry, this man he was in a mask, he did something to the seal on your mother's body, she held me before you. Oh Kami, Kushina I'm so sorry!'** The Fox howled and Naruto was amazed to see tears sliding down furry cheeks.

_'What are you talking about?!'_ Naruto demanded angrily.

**'The man! He messed up the seal then he did some kind of genjutsu on me, I didn't know what I was doing. I thought I was attacking enemy ninja and that Kushina had summoned me. When I woke up she was impaled on my claw and I couldn't move. Then I was sealed in here.' **The Kyuubi explained quickly.** 'I've been protecting her since I was first transferred into her. I failed, I failed to protect her!' **

_'Why would you a demon fox want to protect a human?'_ Naruto asked slowly.

**'The people I am sealed into, they are special to me. I hate how people treat them because they are Jinjuriki, I make it my goal to at least heal them, if I can not protect them...I failed yet again.'** Kyuubi looked so sad Naruto could tell it was not lying. **'Would you let me protect you Naruto? I owe Kushina that much, she's done so much for me. I want to give you as long as a life as possible...'**

Naruto studied the source of the pain and death that was around him. Preforming hand seals he closed his eyes and slipped into the mind of the Kyuubi viewing the memories to see if they were true. A handy trick he had learned from Jiraiya during his training. The fox did not try to stop him or even make a move to object. Pulling out of them he nodded his acceptance but he would not put full trust into it just yet.

_'I will take your word for now...'_ He watched the fox's eyes fill with relief and hope.

**'I will do my best.'** Kyuubi nodded offering a foxy grin. **'Oh, your body has changed a little from the influence of my chakra...but it should not hurt anymore...'**

_ 'Got it...I'm going to go now...'_

**'See ya later...and Kit?' **Naruto looked up into the crimson eyes.** '...Thank you...' **Kyuubi said earnestly and Naruto nodded in response before closing his eyes.

Muffled voices filled his ears and he felt hands gripping his shoulder shaking him.

"- Ruto! Naruto! Can you hear me?" He opened his eyes flinching at the sudden brightness but managed to catch a glimpse of the Third Hokage and the Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha looking at him worried. Forcing his eyes back open he looked down to where he was still channeling chakra into the still bodies of his parents. His breathing sped up as tears slipped down his cheeks.

"I...I couldn't...save them..." He whispered refusing to cut off the chakra pouring into them to heal the wounds that had taken their lives. "I...couldn't...save...them..." He whispered the heartbreaking words over and over like a chant that he couldn't get out of his head until warm arms wrapped around his shaking form. He pressed his face into the shoulder of his second mother figure and sobbed finally cutting off the jutsu and raising his hands to grip the back of her flak jacket.

His tears stopped slowly as his body slipped into shock from the sudden huge amount foreign chakra that had been pushed into him. His arms falling gently to his sides as slipped into a sleep filled time his parents and happier times. He dimly heard the cries and screams from the adults near him.

A horrible, horrible sound filled his ears, it was echoing around him surrounding and suffocating him. He wanted it to stop, that was before his senses flooded into his brain and he became aware that the sound was him, screaming. He shut up almost immediately coughing and choking as he struggled for air. He fell limp his body falling into the bed he was on. He could feel the pillow under his head. He was unable to move his arms and legs but realized that he was in fact restrained to the bed. A glance to the side told him the beeping that was beginning to enter his senses was a machine but he could not quite make out the numbers and lines. He instead blankly watched blood trickling down from where his fingernails dug into his palms and the torn raw skin from where he had been struggling in his unconscious state. He could feel something warm and wet trickling down his cheek but of course he could not see it.

Pain wrecked his systems, it was so intense that he could not hold back in agony filled screams, his back arching off the table. He understood what Kyuubi meant by his changing body, but the pain was there, he could tell that the Fox had however cut back the pain by a lot. If it had been at full force he probably would have gone brain dead at minimum or at worst his organs would be so stressed they would have slammed to a halt. He choked coughing harshly forcing his head to turn as blood poured onto the already crimson stained sheets.

He squeezed his eyes shut pressing happy memories into his mind to help him through the agony. He was so wrapped up in them he forgot he was still thrashing and screaming fighting against the chakra and changes his body could not accept. He failed to hear the door open and people walking in, by this time he had been silent for a while. His eyes closed as if he were sleeping, chest heaving in pained gasps and rattling coughs. This new chakra would probably cause health problems through his life but if it means protecting his village then he did not care.

A gentle dabbing of a cloth on his sweaty bloody skin made him jump and the person to gasp pulling away. He forced his eyes open, the orbs filled with the pain he was suffering. He stared at the person not paying attention to the other people in the room. His dry lips pulled apart and he forced himself to speak despite his dry, bloody throat.

"Mum...?" He croaked out coughing weakly unable to feel the blood spilling past his lips. "...It's...okay...the Kyuubi...is...contained...I'll...protect...the...village..." He whispered gasping out every word rippled with his pain. "...You...and...dad...can...rest...easy...I'm...sorry...I couldn't...save...you..."

The person gently stroked his damp hair wiping away the blood on his skin. He hissed despite the gentle touches. He let his eyes flutter closed and his weak exhausted body relax knowing the pain was over.

"Please, father just let me see him!" An angry voice flooded into his mind and he opened his eyes turning his head towards the sound staring blankly at the door. He knew that voice, it was so familiar. Where did he know it? He wondered tiredly before it hit him seconds later, Itachi. So that meant, his shifted his gaze up to the woman who he had mistaken for his mother before. Mikoto smiled gently back and he weakly offered his own smile. Understanding what she was silently asking he nodded showing her he was stable to allow Itachi in. She walked over to the door pulling it open, a few minutes pasted as she talked to her husband and eldest. He smiled thankfully when a nurse gently pulled an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose aiding in his breathing. He could breath fine on his own for now but at in his weak state it was never too much to be over cautious. Turning his head back to the ceiling he watched the lights flickering slightly amazed that he could see the split second delay of power. The Kyuubi it seemed had enhanced his senses. He turned his head to looked up at his best friend as a hand slid into his. He smiled gently giving a weak squeeze to show he was fine.

"I'm...Fine..." He whispered, he would have laughed at the glare Itachi was giving him.

"You've been screaming nonstop for almost a week, the nurses and doctors were only able to get into the room this morning without you unconsciously casting jutsus on them...they said you and the fox was trying to defend you body..." The raven explained softly. "You've changed..."

Naruto looked at him confused at how he had changed before remembering Kyuubi had told him his body would do so in the presence of the new chakra.

"How so?" He asked slowly. He watched Itachi looked around for a moment before letting go of his hand and disappear from his view. He tried to turn his head to see him but by that time the male was no longer in the room. He frowned thinking Itachi had left but it was short lived when the older returned holding up a mirror so the blonde could see himself. His hair was streaked with crimson, his skin seemed a bit tanner, on each of his cheeks were three scars that were still bleeding slightly but healed for the most part. The most shocking thing was his eyes, the right one was crimson like the Kyuubi's while his left was still the same azure blue. He blinked in shock and shrugged as if he could care less.

"Not too bad...I don't mind..." He mumbled before looking back to his friend. "It was worth it, I have become the jailor of the one who caused all of this...I will protect this village, I will sacrifice anything I need to in order to do so. Even my life." A loud slap sounded through the room, Naruto jerked wincing at the pain on his cheek and the crack of his neck. He turned his head back to face Mikoto.

"Don't you dare treat your life like it is worthless, young man!" She growled angrily. "Your parents just died to protect the village, we have lost many friends and family all of us. And you, you almost died in order to seal the Kyuubi away, please don't say that...You're like my son and I'm going to take care of you like one, I promised your parents I would and I plan on keeping that promise, Naruto!"

Naruto swallowed hard and nodded slowly before wincing at the rawness of his throat he coughed softly for a moment. He looked up as a hand stroked his hair softly.

"Sleep now, you defiantly need it." She whispered softly as a nurse injected medication that would knock him out.

"I'm...sorry..." He mumbled sleepily as he let the darkness wrap around him and fell into a much needed sleep.

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_**Should the Uchiha's still die?**_

_**If so who should kill them? **_

**Please, ****Please**** Review. Any and all flames, suggestions, and random comments of any kind are greatly appreciated. **

**(I strive to better my writing style, anything helps.)**

**Any ideas would be fantastic.**

**Thank you so much for reading and I hope you liked it.**


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